HTX-COM: Impact 9/5/2025

 A new community will bring 250 homes to the Montgomery area after M/I Homes purchased 180 acres of land along FM 2854, according to a Sept. 3 news release.

What you need to know: The Berryknoll community is expected to open in spring 2026 with homes ranging from 70 feet wide to an acre, according to the release. There are also plans for ponds, trails, a covered pavilion with picnic tables, a playground, an open lawn and pickleball courts. The homes will feature three to six bedrooms, open concept design and optional three-car garages, according to the release. Pricing is anticipated to start at around $400,000.

Lamplight Ghost Tours is expanding into Conroe this October, according to an Aug. 21 news release.

The details: The business, which already offers ghost tours in Montgomery, will launch a new tour through downtown Conroe. The tour will combine a walk with local history and stories, according to the news release. Tickets for the tours will be $25 per person, and private group tours will be available upon request.

Quote of note: “We’re thrilled to expand into Conroe and share the stories behind its iconic downtown buildings,” Leah Lamp, owner of Lamplight Ghost Tours, said via news release. “Our tours blend real history with real hauntings, making for an unforgettable evening.”

Need something to do this weekend? See this list of events going on throughout the Conroe and Montgomery area this weekend. This list is not comprehensive. Events are subject to change.

Reader’s Night: Book Besties: Meet fellow readers, swap books, shop for book-themed merchandise from local vendors and meet local authors in downtown Conroe.

• Sept. 5, 5-9 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 215 N. Main St., Conroe

• Sept. 5, 5-9 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 213 N. Thompson St., Conroe

• Sept. 5, 7-9 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 885 Pine Market Ave., Montgomery

Around 1 a.m. Sept. 4, the Texas Legislature gaveled out of its second special session of the year. On the heels of a two-week Democratic walkout that stymied bills during a previous legislative overtime, lawmakers moved quickly to pass 16 of Gov. Greg Abbott’s 24 priorities in under three weeks.

The details: A long-debated plan to ban or restrict sales of hemp-derived THC and a measure aimed at reining in local property tax growth were among the proposals that did not make the cut. Those proposals fell apart in the final days of the special session, after House and Senate lawmakers were unable to reach agreements. 

Also of note: Lawmakers also did not pass bills intended to improve emergency preparedness and communications in the wake of the deadly July 4-5 floods; shield certain law enforcement files from public disclosure; and bar local governments from hiring outside lobbyists. 

The governor can call a special session at any time; however, legislative leaders indicated they did not expect to return to Austin to tackle the remaining agenda items.